The Great Big Pop Punk Argument

[Colamania]

I'm hoping to generate some serious musical discussion in this thread, for the simple reason that this is, among my own friends and peers, one of the most arguable subjects around. The musical genre of pop punk. The question is, is it a genre which one can be proud of listening to and supporting, or is it, as people have claimed to me when I say I like it, "only for teenage girls"?

What Is Pop Punk? Fairly basic question which I suppose should be answered to start this thread. Wikipedia has a fairly good definition which I won't argue with, simply this:

A strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars

Sounds fair to me. So, let's move on to what music is pop punk? There's been mentions of punk music with pop qualities since the mid '70s, but the genre I'm really stating a case for is the modern pop punk which we see defined earlier. And the first moment in music when pop punk was thrust into the mainstream? I think it went a little like this...

[YOUTUBE]NUTGr5t3MoY[/YOUTUBE]

Green Day were the first, and possibly the best. Even as recently as the issue of Kerrang! magazine which is on UK shelves right now, they are called "The Kings of Pop Punk". Green Day are definitely a well respected band, one of the biggest selling artists ever, albums, DVDs, and yes, the Broadway musical. They are the first band I would include in the case for pop-punk, but there are a fair few others worth considering...

Pop Punk's Biggest Successes

Keeping things as short as possible so you don't get bored, there are a few bands who have really broken through to international success from the pop-punk genre. Here's a selection of a couple...

Blink-182

Arguably the next biggest thing in the genre besides Green Day, Blink are closer to today's modern definition of pop-punk - three chords, unlimited fun. Humourous lyrical themes in some songs matched perfectly against some actual emotional power in others gives them a nice balance as a band. But more than anything, they personify the best aspect of pop punk music: Pure fun. Here's the evidence summed up rather nicely, I think...

[YOUTUBE]K7l5ZeVVoCA[/YOUTUBE]

Sum 41

Big name, big band, big fun. Simple as. You might only know a couple of their songs, but I guarantee you like them. You don't recognize the name? You will if you watch this.

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New Found Glory

Arguably the biggest story in pop punk this year, NFG have undergone a wonderful resurgence just when you thought they were down and out. They got back on the road, played a very well-received show here in the UK at the Reading & Leeds Festivals, plus a small tour of warm up shows beforehand (The Birmingham leg of which had a certain scruffy 19 year old in the front row. Insane show, was fantastic) and then to top it all off, released probably their best album since 2002's "Sticks And Stones", "Radiosurgery". Their biggest song is probably My Friends Over You, but as fantastic as that song is, it is a touch overplayed sometimes, so for my evidence I'll provide this instead:

[YOUTUBE]QbPajfIwRRs[/YOUTUBE]

The Case Against

So why is pop-punk, if it produced the gems above, so disliked? It's the teenage girl factor. The pretty boy band members, the lack of guitar solos, the guyliner and manscara. (Disgusting words, seriously.) The following bands form the case against the genre. And I'd like to point out, I like every single one that I'm about to post, I simply understand that they are the reason people dislike the genre. In fact, let's start with my 3rd favourite band in the world right now. Only Muse and Green Day rank higher. As shameful to admit, yes, it is...

All Time Low

Yep. The 4 posers from Baltimore. Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Zack Merrick and Rian Dawson. I am a bloody huge fan. In fact, my Facebook profile picture is me, Jack and Alex at the Kerrang Awards. I love them - but so do 14 year olds across the world. Their bouncy guitars, overly catchy lyrics and gimmicky, immature senses of humour lead to any serious rock fan shunning them. Here's some evidence in the form of the first single from their major label debut, the hugely infectious I Feel Like Dancin'.

[YOUTUBE]MTJkE8Ki3Gg[/YOUTUBE]

See what I mean? The lyrics aren't exactly genius stuff, the jokes are fairly predictable and the pointless pop-culture references ("Now I know how Kesha must be feeling" for example) don't help.

Fall Out Boy

Ugh. I shudder when I think of how much I actually enjoy their music, because as far as image is concerned, they're everything I hate about modern day rock music - more concerned with how they look than how they sound. And yet they still pull off tunes like this...

[YOUTUBE]onzL0EM1pKY[/YOUTUBE]

Bloody brilliant stuff. Most people have probably tuned out or stopped reading by now, so I'll wrap it up by opening the discussion: Is pop punk music a worthwhile, listenable addition to today's rock music scene which people should be proud of listening to, or should people like me grow up and learn a 4th chord?

 

[Kermit]

Great thread. I am all up on the pop-punk scene. It is where my jams are at bro. However, ever since my Ipod Video got stolen three years ago, music has not been such a prominent feature in my life.

I'd look to look at a couple of bands that you missed, or may be unaware of.

Say Anyting

I'm going to go ahead and assume that you already know about Say Anything, because they are one of the biggest pop-punk bands out there. They became my all time favorite band when I was a senior in highschool.

[YOUTUBE]I7rYZjv3wNg[/YOUTUBE]

And their new stuff just gets better.

[YOUTUBE]qHKZK6tZiEU[/YOUTUBE]

Blink 182

You posted "What's My Age Again?" but I feel like that is a bit of an outdated example and maybe even more on the punk side as opposed to pop.

Their new album is a firm transition into the genre. Many people say that is a culmination of all of their side bands and Blink 182 combined, but I think it just sounds like Angels and Airwaves & Blink 182 put together.

[YOUTUBE]Kn9Bq0X7DaA[/YOUTUBE]

Cobra Starship

I think Cobra Starship is a good example of a band that turned almost completely pop. They are/were definitely pop-punk.

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Here is some earlier stuff.

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Taking Back Sunday

Who didn't listen to TBS when they were kid and say, "they get me." Lol.

[YOUTUBE]7xmADtEco3w[/YOUTUBE]

My Chemical Romance

Another band that turned in order to fit the "scene." Notice how most of these bands turned in order to fit the "popular taste." My Chemical Romance use to be emo and now they are pop-punk.

[YOUTUBE]SO9Lj0T93Xk[/YOUTUBE]

Gorillaz

Bahaha, I know that Gorillaz don't really even classify as pop-punk .

[YOUTUBE]04mfKJWDSzI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Colamania]

Nice post, I was trying to steer clear of the MCR posting (Even though they are one of my favourite bands, you don't exactly get a lot of popularity for saying you like them...) I'm intrigued by Say Anything, I haven't even heard of them, but I will definitely be checking them out in the future.

Am glad, keeping with the theme of this thread, that there is someone else out there willing to gladly admit pop punk fandom. I just feel like it's a slightly looked down upon genre, despite the extraordinary amount of excellent music it produces. In particular excellent stuff like MCR, Green Day and Blink, who are almost straight up rock bands these days (MCR maybe not so much, but the other two definitely).

Which brings me to my main arguable point with your post: Blink's new album, to me, although being excellent, doesn't sound all that pop punk. Songs like All The Small Things, The Rock Show and What's My Age Again? were much more poppish than the new stuff. Songs like Up All Night have a very slightly harder edge to them, similar to the songs from the last album before the split, and plus the auto-tuning on Tom's voice (not complaining as much as some Blink fans about that, let's face it, he can do with it) makes it sound a bit more AVA than it does Blink. I am a big fan of the new album, have got tickets to see them next year, but not sure how pop the new stuff really is...

 

[Alex]

Like any genre Pop-Punk has its good bands and bad/mediocre bands. In my opinion though the amount of good bands is far outweighed by the bad/mediocre.

Put it this way Green Day and Blink 182 were two of the first Pop-Punk bands, they helped start it and other bands followed. These bands pretty much copy/pasted the formula that these bands did with no originality. Sure they were/are popular but to me you're not missing much if you don't listen to them.

My Chemical Romance are an interesting mention because they took the Pop-Punk formula but did their own thing with it (which is what I feel quite a few of the bands are lacking)

Green Day and Blink also evolved over time. Green Day phased out the popiness of their music in favour of a rockier style. Blink 182 took a more serious tone leaving out the dick jokes and it worked.

 

[nicwits]

You guys listen to shit pop-punk.


Check out bands like The Movielife, RZL DZL, and the Juliana Theory. Mainstream pop punk (like every band posted thus far) isn't punk. It's just pop bullshit.

 

[Kermit]

You guys listen to shit pop-punk.

Give me a break man. This isn't high school where we knock other people's taste in music because it's "mainstream."

The majority of the bands posted are not just "pop bullshit," as you would put it. Just because they aren't your "taste," because you are so "hardcore" with your underground sync with "real" punk bands, doesn't mean that they are omitted from the genre.

Does a band being mainstream constitute it to not be classed in the genre that it portrays?

Mainstream pop punk (like every band posted thus far) isn't punk.

You're right. It is not punk; it's pop-punk. Of course pop-punk isn't punk.

It's just pop bullshit.

I'll be sure to take your totally non-bias opinion of music when I listen to "real" pop-punk.

 

[Cracka Jack]

Yeah, I like a little Pop Punk. Green Day (though only their older stuff), Blink, and I remember how Sum 41 was, at one time, my favorite band (I was 12). I've lost most of my liking of the genre since, but I still listen to a few tracks every now and then. In the case of MCR, they happen to be one of my favorite bands, but I had never considered them to be Pop Punk in the slightest. Really, I don't know what to call them. While I generally avoid the genre now, I feel like music based on simplicity, like as you mentioned with "learning a fourth chord", can be some of the most delightful and catchy stuff there is. In short, while I feel I've grown away from my former love for Pop Punk, I can still appreciate it in some way today.

 

[Raven*]

Finally some people who appreciate pop punk. It is my favorite genre of music. Three chords of nothing but fun music. Like most people New Found Glory and Green Day got me interested. Many pop punk bands out there are trash, but you have to look deeper to find the best. The top pop punk bands were featured on the Pop Punk's not dead tour this year (New Found Glory, The Wonder Years, Man Overboard, This time next year, and Set Your Goals.)

At one time Fall Out Boy was awesome. Especially the first two albums in Take this to your grave and Evening out with the girlfriend. Over time, the band let the success get to their heads. Hopefully after the hiatus they go back to making awesome music again.

Commenting on the new blink album, it was very good. Although, it did not feel like a Blink182 album. It was more like Angels and Airwaves mixed with Blink 182.


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